Fountain pen construction and ink cartridge therefor



Aug. 13, 1957 D. H. Yop NG FOUNTAIN PEN CONSTRUCTION AND INK CARTRIDGE -THEREFOR Filed nec. 16, 1954 ATTORNEYS United States Patent FoUNTAlN PEN CONSTRUCTION AND INK e cAR'rRmGETnEREFoR Donald H. Young,`Southbury, Conn.,.assignor to Waterman Pen Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 16, 1954, seal No. 415,116

4 claims. (cl. 1z0-45.4)

This invention relates generallyto fountain pens of the type in which the ink is contained in a cartridge which is normally discarded when empty, the ink `supply .being replenished .by the insertion of a -full cartridge. The cartridge is housed in the -barrel of the pen and'is im`- paled on a rearwardly projecting piercing tube which serves to conduct the ink to the -feed section of the pen from which it flows to the nib.

One of the major objects of the inventionis to provide a pen construction and a cooperating cartridge .so organized that both during the operation of inserting and piercing the cartridge and during normal use of the pen, there is no danger of leakage of ink. .As will appear later, the operation of replacing Ian exhausted cartridge with a new one is simple and foolproof.

A further .object of the invention is to provide acartridge which, for emergency use, can be at least partially refilled. y l,

The invention ywill be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, largely in longitudinal section, of a fountain pen incorporating a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion of the pen showing the cartridge prior to piercing;

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the cartridge after piercing; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line4-4 of Fig. 3.

The pen consists of ra barrel, generally designated 1, and what will be referred to as a feed section, generally designated 2, carrying a nib 3. As a matter `of convenience, the nib end of the pen will Ibe. referred-to asthe forward end and the other end'as the rear, andi the use of ythe terms front, rearwardly etc. indescribing the various components lwill .be understood to conform to those designations.

In this instance, a coupling member 4 serves to unite the barrel and feed sections, its `forward threaded end 5 engaging the feed section and its rear threaded end 6 receiving the barrel. The .coupling member is turned up tight in the -feed section, as .by a wrenchinserted in holes 7, and for present purposes can be thought of and will be treated as part of the feed section. The barrel is simply turned up finger tight against ring 8, so as to be readily removable.

The rear or barrel end of the feed section incorporates a cartridge receiving lcavity and a cartridge seat and" a rearwardly projecting piercing tube adapted to penetrate the front end of a cartridge housed in the barrel. The cartridge seat, marked 9 (Fig. 2) is actually formed'jin the coupling member and, as illustrated, is preferably of conical, concave form. Piercing tube 10, protruding rearwardly from the center of the cartridge seat, extends part way .back in the coupling member cavity or hollow interior 11 (Fig. 2). It will be understood that the position of the piercing tube relative to the coupling member is fixed.

An ink cartridge, generally designated 15, is adapted to be housed in barrel .1. The forward end of the cartridge is shaped to yform a convex conical seat portion 16 and incorporates a bore 17 the base or inner end of Iwhich is normally closed by a restricted diaphragm area or Wall 18 (Fig. 2). In this instance the cartridge is designed to -be lled from the other end 19 (Fig. 1) which, after filling, is suitably sealed. A cartridge spring 20, terminating in a cup 21, is mounted in the rear end of the barrel.

The front end of the cartridge is a sliding fit in cavity.

11 and the piercing tube is a snug iit in the cartridge bore 17. Accordingly, with the barrel removed, the cartridge can be inserted to its Fig. 2 position in which it is supported in the feed section both by the cavity wall andby the piercing tube. tioned properly and cannot teeter or get out of alignment as the 4barrel is slid over it. As will be understood, screwing the barrel home serves to telescope the cartridge bore and piercing tube, causing the latter to penetrate the diaphragm wall and .place the -tube in communicationl with the ink supply.` The detals of the feed section construction and the con-trol of the ink flow through the tube f and to the nib form no part of the present invention and,

hence, will not be described.

The ink cartridge is made of polyethylene, or like material, which is readily pierced .by 4the sharpened end of tube 10. As will be noted, the tube is shown sharpened on its inner edge 25 (Fig. 3) rather than on its outer edge and the end 26 of the tube is cut on the bias. In

the result, the diaphragm wall 18 is not completely f severed `but is partially cut out and forced back as the tubel and cartridge are telescoped, leaving a more orJ less hinged ap27 which, being still attached, cannot float around in the cartridge and possibly clog thetube out-let.

As mentioned above, the piercing tube 10 is a srnugkfit in the cartridge bore 17 and it will lbe recognized that sharpening the tube end on its inner rather than its outer edgel has the further advantage of minimizing the risk of the tube end gouging into the wall ofthe bore.

It will also be noted that the diaphragm ybore is'of a length greater than that of the Ibias cut portion of the tube end. Accordingly, the body of the tube is seen to f be in sealing as well as guiding engagement with the wall e' of the lbore `before the tip of the tube penetrates the diaphragm wall, thus guarding against any ilow of ink around rather than into the tube.

As the barrel is screwed home the 'cartridge seat portion 16 comes to rest against the feed section seat 9, thus effecting a .second seal against the escape of ink around the piercing tube and into the barrel. The spring 20, with its cap Z1 abutting the rear end of the cartridge,

When the ink supply is exhausted, the normal procedure is to unscrew the barrelfrom thefeed section, withdraw` the empty cartridge and insert a new one in the manner l already described. However, bymaking the cartridge of such material as polyethylene the wall of the body portion can readily be made of such thnness as to be collapsible by squeezing although stiff enough to be quite rigid lengthwise. Accordingly, if a new cartridge is not immediately available, some `ink can be drawn into the exhausted cartridge by squeezing and relaxing it, just Patented Aug. 13, 1957V In other words, it is necessarily posi- 3 as an 'eye dropper is filled. For this purpose, the nib end of 'the pen can be immersed in ink, squeezing and relax- Ving the cartridge body without removing it from the feed section, or the cartridge can be removedand similarly replenished. As will be recognized, the restricted cartridge bore functions in the manner of the restricted tip @fan eye dropper and a sufficient supply of ink for temporary use can be drawninto thel cartridge and without .any .objectionable back ow or drip.

It will be apparent that the described embodiment of the invention, while having the special advantages noted and hence preferred, is illustrative and susceptible to modication without departing .from the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the following is claimed:

l. ln a fountain pen, a rear barrel and a forward feed section, a single hollow open-ended rigid ink piercing and conducting .tube fixed axially in said feed section and projecting therefrom, said tube being cut on .a kbias at its rear end and having its rearmost portion inwardly beveled to provide an internal sharp cutting edge, 'a liquid ink containing .cartridge consisting essentially of an elongated integral substantially cylindrical envelope .of resilient plastic material such as polyethylene which is longitudinal-v ly stiff but with side walls that are laterally deformable under manual pressure disposed mainly in said barrel and formed at its forward end adjacent the feed section with a small smooth forwardly open bore sized to snugly and sealingly slidably receive said tube, and an integral thin diaphragm of said material extending transversely across the bottom of said bore, said bore being longer axially than the bias cnt end portion of said tube so that when said cartridge and said feed section are axially moved toward each other the tube will peripherally seal within said bore before the sharp edge of said tube cuts through said diaphragm.

2. In a fountain pen` a rear barrel and a forward feed section, a single hollow open-ended rigid ink piercing and conducting tube fixed axially in said feed section and projecting therefrom, said tube being cut on a bias at its rear end and having its rearmost portion inwardly beveled toprovide an internal sharp cutting edge, means on said feed section providing an annular seating surface surrounding said tube, a liquid ink containing cartridge consisting essentially of an elongated integral substantially cylindrical envelope of resilient plastic material such as polyethylene which is longitudinally stiff but with side walls that arelaterally deformable under manual pressure disposed mainly in said barrel and formed at Yits forward end adjacent the feed section with a smooth `small bore sized to snugly and sealingly slidably receive said tube,

Vsaid cartridge being exteriorly formed to provide an annular seating surface surrounding said bore adjacent the forward open end thereof, and an integral thin diaphragm of said material extending transversely across the bottom of said bore spaced materially inwardly of the Vforward open end of said bore, said bore and tube being of such relative lengths and such snugly interlitting peripheral dimensions that when said cartridgeA and said feed section are axia'lly moved toward each other the tube is peripherally `sealed within said bore before the sharpened end of said tube cuts through the diaphragm, and said seating Vsurfaces being engaged after the tube has pierced and its end Vhas entered into the interior of the cartridge so that a supplementary ink seal is thereby provided.

3. In a fountain pen, a rear barrel and a forward feed section, a single vhollow open-ended rigid inkpierlcing and conducting tube fixed axially in said feed sectionand projecting therefrom, said tu'be being cut on a bias atfits rear end and having its rearmost portion inwardly beveled to provide an internal sharp cutting edge, means on said feed section providing an inclined annular rigid seating 'surface surrounding said tube, a liquid ink containing cartridge consisting essentially ofan elongated integral substantially cylindrical envelope of resilient plastic material such as polyethylene which is longitudinally stii but with side walls that are laterally deformable under manual pres-Y sure disposed mainly in `said .barrel section and'formed at said forward end 'adjacent the vfeed section with a small smooth bore sized .to snugly and sealingly slidably receive said tube, said cartridge being formed exteriorly to provide an inclined annular rigid seating surface `surrounding said bore adjacent the forward open end of said bore, and an integral thin-diaphragmof said material extending transversely across .the bottom .of said bore spaced materially inwardly of the forward open end of said bore, said bore and tube being of such proportions that when said cartridge and said feed section are axially moved toward eachother the tube end iirs't peripherally seals within said bore and then cuts through said diaphragm before the said seating surfaces are .tightly engaged to provide a supplementary ink seal.

4. In a fountain pen, a rear barrel and a forward feed section, a ,single hollow open-ended rigid ink piercing and conducting tube xed axially in said feed section and projecting therefrom, said tube being cut at a bias at its lrear end and having its rearmost portion inwardly beveled toprovide an? internal ,sharp cutting edge, means on said feed section ,providing an inclined annular rigid seating surface surrounding said tube, a liquid ink containing cartridge consisting essentially of .an Velongated integral substantially cylindrical envelope of resilient plastic material `such as .polyethylene which is llongitudinally stiff but with side walls thatare laterally deformable under manual pressure disposed mainly in said barrel section and formed atvsaid forward end adiacent the feed section with a small smooth bore sized to snugly .and sealingly slidably receive said tube, said cartridge being formed exteriorly to provide an inclined annular rigid seating surface surrounding said bore adjacent the forward open end of said bore, said seating surface on the cartridge being inclined with respect to the .axis of the pen at a ,smaller angle than said seating surface on said feed section, and an integral thin diaphragm of said material extend-ing transversely across the bottom of said bore spaced materially inwardly of the forward open end of said bore, .said bore .and tube being of such proportions that when said cartridge and said feed section are axially moved toward each other the tube end first peripherally seals within said bore and then cuts through said diaphragm before the `said seating surfaces are tightly engaged to V provide a supplementary ink seal.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France May 12, 1954 

